UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the continued arbitrary detention of 59 UN staff by the Houthi group in Yemen. In a statement issued by his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, the referral of UN staff to a so-called 'Special Criminal Court' was condemned as a serious violation of international law. The statement emphasized that UN staff, held in isolation from the outside world for years, have faced no legal proceedings or guarantees of a fair trial. In addition to UN personnel, the Houthis are also detaining dozens of workers from non-governmental organizations, civil society institutions, and diplomatic missions.
